American Airlines to install memory buttons for MRO work

American Airlines is installing automatic identification technology (AIT) on civilian aircraft, the first carrier to do so, in the form of MacSema contact memory buttons (shown) applied to replaceable structural components, such as doors, stabilizers, rudders and elevators. The compact, high memory-capacity buttons automate data collection, which can save labor costs and improve data accuracy.

The move will allow the carrier to monitor components’ individual history. Workers can scan the buttons and tell instantly whether the part was delivered on the aircraft or moved from one aircraft to another. It also tells how many hours a part has accumulated on each plane, whether it has been damaged and repaired, and whether it requires additional inspection.

This information will be valuable in helping the airline comply with Federal Aviation Authority inspection rules that pertain to potential cracking in airplane structures such as doors. Being able to track such structural components will mean that maintenance and repair workers will know exactly how long a part has been in use and where it is in its required inspection cycle.    

The carrier plans to install the high-capacity read/write data storage devices during heavy maintenance visits on its entire fleet within four years, beginning with the Boeing 777 and 737-800 aircraft.

The process involves a general visual inspection of each aircraft, including checking data tags on parts (by manufactureing part number and serial number), and inspecting for damage; then the uploading of that information to a contact memory button, followed by installation on each part. Afterwards, quality inspectors verify that the right buttons appear on the right parts.